Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Botley, Oxfordshire
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Botley. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- The roof’s overall size
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
A few details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you contact us, let us know:
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- The address and postcode of the property
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- What’s prompted the survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Botley
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’ve noticed chimney mortar that has eroded and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, we can find out what’s behind it, on lead flashings and valleys, natural slate and clay and concrete tiles alike.
In a smaller place like Botley, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Breathable membranes only appeared in the late 1990s, so older roofs frequently have bitumen felt or nothing at all.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- Botley (OX2)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Botley homes and their roofs
The wider area around Botley has a long history of building, with Holywell Manor about 2.3 miles east. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If you own a rental within reach of Oxford station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Take an older house close to St Peter and St Paul: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Botley is about 3 miles west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Botley. Across Oxfordshire, we cover Botley.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: OX2. You will find streets such as Elms Road, Cedar Road and Hazel Road, all of which we cover. We also cover the places around Botley: Dean Court (1 mile west), Chawley (1 mile south-west), Cumnor (2 miles south-west), Filchampstead (2 miles west) and Wytham (2 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (3 miles east), Didcot (10 miles south), Bicester (12 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (5 miles south), Witney (9 miles west) and Carterton (13 miles west).
Local landmarks in Botley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Seacourt Bridge pub, Raleigh Park and Matthew Arnold School and the streets around them. Botley’s nearest station is Oxford station, about 1.3 miles east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Oxford University Press Museum (1.6 miles east) and Radcliffe Infirmary (1.8 miles east). Open spaces near Botley include Harcourt Hill and Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds.
Nearby places to Botley
Other services in Botley
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Let us know your exchange date when booking
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
What happens on the day
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. We inspect what can be seen safely, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. A visit to Botley is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed in advance. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Tell us about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Keep pets in another room
Booking a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Botley
Will you come out to Botley?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Botley?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Where it’s safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the loft space. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
Leave it or get it looked at?
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit, with photos of anything that needs attention. Blocked gutters on homes around Botley overflow and soak walls. It’s easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Botley
- Package prices that include VAT
- Plain-English reports with photos
- PI and public liability insurance
- An independent look at the roof
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.